But the White House-endorsed plan that Republicans in Congress put out Wednesday appears to benefit rich Americans — though its details are still evolving. And many top Republicans believe cutting taxes for wealthy people would stimulate the economy.

Shelby added that he’s not sure about Trump’s pledge that he wouldn’t personally benefit from the plan. “Is he going to benefit? I don’t know,” Shelby said. “It doesn’t matter to me, because I don’t think he’s going to go hungry.”

President Trump, speaking in Indianapolis on Sept. 27, said that his tax proposal will help middle-class families save money and eliminate loopholes that benefit the wealthy. (Photo: Michael Conroy/AP)

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told Fox Business on Wednesday that he prefers to lower taxes for wealthy people in order to stimulate spending in the economy. On Thursday, Hatch, the chair of the committee that will be crafting the legislation, said he’d like everyone to get tax relief under the plan, but that wealthy people won’t be the primary beneficiaries.

“I don’t have any problem with everyone getting a break, but I think [Trump’s] right that the rich are not going to reap the whirlwind here,” Hatch said.

The GOP’s tax plan eliminates the estate tax — which benefits people who are inheriting wealth from multimillionaires — and dramatically lowers taxes on business income. The plan also cuts the top income tax rate from 39 percent to 35 percent, while raising the lowest income tax rate from 10 percent to 12 percent. It also repeals the alternative minimum tax, which requires wealthier individuals and corporations to pay more in taxes (it cost Trump more than $30 million in 2005).

The plan’s champions say that by doubling the standard deduction and closing unspecified loopholes used by wealthy people, the legislation would end up benefiting both middle- and low-income people more than the wealthy. The plan also allows for the creation of a fourth, higher tax rate to make sure the tax code “does not shift the tax burden” from rich people to low-income people, but it did not say what that rate would be or who it would apply to.

But Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., an ally of Trump’s in the Senate, said he believes that lowering the top rate and hiking up the bottom income tax rate creates an “optics” problem for Republicans.

“In my opinion, we ought to keep the top rate where it is, keep the bottom rate where it is and then simplify in-between,” Perdue said. “Or if the president wants to put a surcharge or something like that, that’s another recommendation that would be considered.”

Perdue continued, “In the Republican caucus, there is no champion for increasing benefits for the upper-income classes.”

“I think American taxpayers care about what they take home,” Cohn said. The former Goldman Sachs executive said he believed most but not all middle-class Americans would see a tax cut under the legislation.

Trump’s repeated refrain that his tax plan won’t benefit him or people like him could be a strategy to attract Senate Democrats to the plan. He took Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., with him on Air Force One Wednesday to the rally and urged him to vote for tax reform. Democrats have said they will not support a plan that cuts taxes for the wealthiest Americans.

“This cannot be another situation like Obamacare where we get something across the finish line in one chamber and then the president says it’s mean,” said Republican strategist Alex Conant. “If he wants to raise taxes on the wealthy, he should do that. And that’s what the plan should be and he should convince Republicans to support it and get some Democrats on board and lead on it.”